It’s open!” With those words, volunteer Bryan Shaw of Duluth welcomed the first of more than 10,000 people expected to visit the Georgia Aquarium when it opened in 2005.

The world’s largest aquarium at that time opened to the general public with a fantastic show. The Aquarium is located just north of Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta, and holds eight million gallons of water and more than 100,000 fish.

What to see in the Georgia Aquarium

Are you hooked yet? Drop your cursor down and see what could lurk in the waters of the Georgia Aquarium, based on a list of sea creatures the aquarium has proposed to acquire.(more…)

Getting around in Atlanta

Buckhead
Where: North of downtown Atlanta, centered at Peachtree and Roswell roads.
Inside scoop: Where old money meets frat parties, where streets lined with magnificent homes empty onto Atlanta’s most famous singles scene. It’s home to the Governor’s Mansion, much of the goings-on in Tom Wolfe’s “A Man in Full” and two of the area’s best malls, Lenox (Lenox Square guide) and Phipps (Phipps Plaza guide).

Downtown Connector
Where: I-85 meets I-75.
Inside scoop: Traveling those few miles through downtown Atlanta where the two superhighways meet can take a few lifetimes. Stay away if you can.
Elton John
Where: Sometimes in a Midtown high-rise condo, but mostly in the newspaper.
Inside scoop: Yes, he lives here part-time, but that does not explain, entirely, the AJC’s good-humored fascination with him. Sightings and goings-on of the singing knight are reported diligently in the Peach Buzz gossip column, but only half-seriously. John has become the local celebrity we love to love.

Wanna get some entertaining education? Splash around the new Georga Aquarium in downtown Atlanta. Or check out one of the area’s many museums, such as the locomotive museum in Kennesaw or the Atlanta History Center. Curious about an Atlanta institution? Visit the World of Coca-Cola, the CNN Center, Fox Theatre or the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site.
Of course, there’s always the zoo, the park, the gardens, the puppetry center …
The puppetry center? Sure. Read on.

STOP BY (AT LEAST)

Engraved brick pathways and the famous Olympic Rings fountain make this park a great place to meet, catch an occasional free concert or just take in an interesting ground-level view of downtown and Midtown. During the winter holidays you can go skating; in the summer the kids will love cooling off in the fountain. Hours: 7 a.m.-11 p.m. daily. www.centennialpark.com

Governor’s Mansion
391 W. Paces Ferry Road N.W.
404-261-1776

After taking a tour of the 30-room Greek Revival mansion, drive east or west on West Paces Ferry to see some of Atlanta’s most exquisite and extravagant homes. 10 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Tuesday-Thursday. www.gov.state.ga.us

Across the street from the historic site operated by the National Park Service is the privately operated memorial and gravesite of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., established in 1968 by his widow, Coretta Scott King. Even if you don’t go inside to see the collection of King’s personal effects, you should spend a quiet moment at his crypt. Hours: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily. www.thekingcenter.org

Atlanta- Deep inside Wal-Mart — Ten seconds. That’s all the time Luis A. Martins would get. Or less.
So at 4:15 a.m. he pressed himself close to the small tower of desktop computers, carving out a good spot among more than 100 other bleary-eyed and increasingly pushy people awaiting the 5 a.m. debut of one-time deals for Black Friday at this Wal-Mart in Roswell.
he stack of computers was wrapped in black plastic, a covering that proved almost too tempting for Martins. At 4:30 a.m. he carefully hooked a finger into the casing and pulled down just a small piece, revealing one of the $398 HP Pavilion desktop computers that would be up for grabs in just 30 minutes.
This was Martins’ first time shopping on Black Friday, an event traditionally known for moving retailers out of the red and into the black for the year. The day lures a cross-section of consumers out of turkey-induced stupors before dawn for sales that save them as much as 50 percent.
It’s the industry’s biggest shopping day — studies show shoppers spent $11 billion on Black Friday last year — and provides a vague sense of how strong holiday sales will be and what strategy is right for the rest of the season.
The official tallies and analyses won’t come out until next week. But at this point, retail gurus are feeling good about Black Friday, and the rest of the season: Holiday spending is projected to rise 4.2 percent over 2015, according to retail research firm ShopperTrak.(more…)

November marks the time of year when hundreds, even thousands, of dutiful folks actually vote. So I think it’s the perfect time to settle a long-burning issue: white lights vs. colored lights for the holidays.
Before you know it, the Thanksgiving dinner will be just a tryptophan memory, and the seasonal tradition of hanging the lights will be upon us.
Of course, there are those who refuse to follow light protocol. You know the parties to which I’m referring, with their lights hung neatly and twinkling the weekend after Halloween. These scofflaws are beyond hope, no matter what kind of lights they display. Can’t we just admit once and for all that we secretly despise them?

History offers an answer to holiday decorating dispute

But for the rest of us, pulling out dusty boxes from basements, attics, and garages, the battle soon begins. For some, it may be one that rages on the home front. I, for one, think the light choice should be included on the marriage questionnaire, under the heading “Christmas,” along with such gems as, “Real tree or artificial?” and “Marshmallow topping or pecans on the sweet potato casserole?” Many couples could have nipped a yuletide disaster in the bud if they had tackled these hot-button topics in premarital counseling.(more…)

Atlanta — Small-business owners are starting to deal with an annual headache: Everyone wants the day after Thanksgiving off. And the week after Christmas.
Any owner who’s suffering through the annual holiday vacation crunch — which can mean either too few staffers on hand or a business populated by disgruntled workers — needs to rethink the company’s policy on time off. Or, if there isn’t a policy, create one
The vacation problem is often twofold, a lack of planning on the owner’s part and a lack of communication with employees.
“More often than not, we think of it when we are right up against the holidays,” said Mary Massad, director of corporate recruiting services for Administaff, a Houston-based human resources firm. “Most employees have already started thinking about their plans long ago.”
The best way to keep disappointment and strife to a minimum is to formulate a vacation policy, detailing how much time off each staffer gets, how far in advance they need to request it and how conflicts will be resolved — for example, by seniority, or first come, first served.
Another very important issue: what happens to time off that isn’t used during the year. You’ll also want to include the holidays on which the company will be closed.(more…)

Dorothy waited until her husband wasn’t around.
She’d tiptoe into her Buford house and hide the latest object of her affection in a closet or under the bed. She’d toss the paper trail in the trash.
A poll released last month by Harris Interactive found that about one in every three Americans in a committed relationship is guilty of this growing breed of infidelity — not the kind that occurs under sheets, but in shopping carts.
Stealth spending is becoming so common, it’s almost a given.

Couples hiding ka-ching rings from each other

Whether financial fibbing raises a red flag depends on a couple’s income and the depth of the deception. But a pattern of lying about spending can damage long-term planning, as well as lead to credit problems, and can eventually hurt the bond of trust and the overall relationship. (more…)

The fete had the pomp and pedigree of a Tinseltown premiere. Superstars in attendance. A global media presence. Flashbulbs popping and observers oohing and aahing with lust and awe. When the stars were finally unveiled, there were audible gasps.
Behold onlookers — a phone and a music player!
Huh?
“Everybody was talking about it,” said Ivan Williams of Lithonia, who purchased a Motorola ROKR phone the first day it went on sale. “As soon as it hit the front page, I had to get it. I had been waiting.”
Drop that US Magazine and grab a copy of Wired: from iPods to RAZRs to TiVo and XBOX — personal tech products have evolved into the new celebrity.
“They’re a personality,” said Marcus V. Colombano, a partner in Avantgarde, a San Francisco technology, entertainment and design marketing firm. “A phone, an iPod?each of these have a mystique about them. It has reflections of a person, it’s an extension of a person.”
Technology, more specifically, products and devices, are earning a space in hearts and psyches typically reserved for movie stars, sports figures, and rock gods.(more…)

A Georgia driver’s license is required within 30 days of establishing residency. For information on how to obtain a driver’s license call 678-413-8500.

You must provide your Social Security number, show proof of residency (utility bill, bank statement, rental contract) and bring a birth certificate, certified naturalization records, immigration ID card or valid passport. All driver’s license fees must be paid in cash, and exact change may be required.
Those with a valid out-of-state driver’s license are required to pass a vision test. An appointment isn’t necessary but can be scheduled in Marietta or Sandy Springs North Cobb, South DeKalb or Lithonia by calling 678-413-8500; select Option 3.
Driver’s license fee: $20 for a five-year license, $35 for a 10-year license. Eye exams are required for all first-time applicants and those 64 and older.
Minimum driving age: 16. Those under 18 must have held an instructional permit for one year and a day before getting a driver’s license and must show they have completed a state course on alcohol and drugs.(more…)

From the stage, Kristian Bush told the crowd and fans at home: “Thanks to Gale Gelman, Helen Rollins, Luke Lewis and everybody at Mercury Records. This is the first award that we’ve ever won ever. How exciting to represent everybody in country music.”
Member Jennifer Nettles added: “It means nothing without all you at home; thank you, fans, especially thank you, fans!”
The much-loved Eddie’s Attic vets seemed genuinely shocked by the award.
According to Sugarland’s Web site, the band’s third member, Kristen Hall, didn’t make the Left Coast ceremonies Tuesday, opting to stay home because “she wasn’t feeling well.”
Meanwhile, the band’s single “Baby Girl” is up for country radio song of the year at this year’s Radio Music Awards due to be televised Dec. 19 on NBC.
And needless to say, a few Grammy nominations could also be in the offing this winter.
Other winners at the AMAs: Kelly Clarkson, Tim McGraw, the Black Eyed Peas, Destiny’s Child, Green Day and Mariah Carey.(more…)